Education in Burkina Faso is structured in much the same way as in the rest of the world; primary, secondary, and higher education. Education is technically free and officially mandatory until the age of 16.

Contents

1 Primary and secondary 1.1 School session 2 Higher education 2.1 Administration 3 Influencing factors 4 Literacy rate 5 References

Primary and secondary

Only 40% of all primary school-age children were enrolled in 1996 and only 9.2% of secondary school-age children. School conditions are usually reasonable with very basic equipment. The class size is sixty-five students but in many rural areas they are much bigger because of the lack of schools. If a school is full, children may get turned away and will have to try again the next year.

School session

A week runs from Monday to Saturday, with the schools being closed on Thursday. Burkina Faso has a national curriculum . The subjects taught include Production, where children may learn to plant maize and trees or keep chickens, on school land. They have a break between noon and 3pm.

Higher education

As of 2004 there are two main universities; The Polytechnic University of Bobo-Dioulasso which focuses primarily on applied sciences like agriculture, and University of Ouagadougou . The first private higher education school was established in 1992. Supervision rates are different from one school to another. At the University Ouagadougou there is one teacher for every 24 students. While at The Polytechnic University of Bobo-Dioulasso they have one teacher for every three students.

Administration

The University Ouagadougou and Bobo-Dioulasso are comprised of five levels of decision making: the board of directors, the university assembly, the university council, institutions, and departments.

Influencing factors

• The number of actual schools (for primary)
• A shortage of qualified instructors (for higher education)
• Families have to pay for school supplies and school fees
• Families have very low income
• By sending a child (or children) to school it is limiting the money being earned for the family
• Many families are only able to send one child to school leaving the others to earn money for the family. They usually send the eldest, abled, male.
• Language barrier . Only 15% of Burkinabè can speak French, the language the lessons are taught in.

Literacy rate

The adult male literacy rate is 30% and the adult female literacy rate is 15%.

References

• MapZones Burkina Faso Education http://www.mapzones.com/world/africa/burkina_faso/educationindex.php . Retrieved Oct 27, 2004.
• U.S. Department of State Background Note: Burkina Faso http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2834.htm . Retrieved Oct 27, 2004.
• Oxfam's Cool Planet Education in Burkina Faso http://www.oxfam.org.uk/coolplanet/ontheline/explore/journey/burkina/prteduc.htm . Retrieved Oct, 27, 2004.
• Guenda, Wendengoudi Burkina Faso Higher Education Profile http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/avp/soe/cihe/inhea/profiles/Burkina_Faso.htm . Retrieved Oct 28, 2004.